You Walked Into My Life
by figured-out
Summary: "It seems obvious that they're back together now, and we have to do something about it." Rachel and Sam start to date after Finn and Quinn get back together. -Post 2.11  The Sue Sylvester Bowl Shuffle
1. Chapter 1

Two weeks after winning the conference championship, Finn and Quinn walk into the choir room holding hands. Rachel's mouth falls open and she blinks in surprise. She then turns around to look at Sam. He just stares at the floor.

Finn and Quinn sit down in the front row, middle. Rachel is left to mouth 'what is going on' at their backs. She knows they must be smiling, and she pictures it to herself and wants to throw rocks at them.

They keep holding hands.

Mr. Schue walks in and smiles at them, so Rachel decides this is unacceptable and something has to be done.

…

She marches up to Sam at the parking lot after practice. "We should date," she says very seriously. She's been thinking about it the entire practice (she's very good at multi-tasking) and figured out this was the best solution.

Sam's eyes bug out. _"What?"_

"Yes. I know we aren't friends yet but due to recent events, this is what we need to do," she explains, bites her lip and waits for him to agree with her.

He just stares at her. She realizes she needs to explain this further and really elaborate on what and why her idea is a good one.

"Let's go get something to drink," she says and climbs into the passenger seat of his car.

…

They sit at a coffee shop on the other side of town. Rachel holds her cup of tea in both hands. "You saw Finn and Quinn today in glee."

"Yes."

"I assume she broke up with you?"

He nods. "About a week ago," he specifies and thinks back to that moment. They were by his car; he was about to drive her home but she said she had another ride. Then she said, "We have to break up. I'm sorry," and walked away from him.

"And you know Finn and I broke up a while ago. It seems obvious that they're back together now, and we have to do something about it."

"But… why?"

She puts both her hands on the table and looks him in the eye. "We can't let them hurt us and get away with it. We can't let them rule glee."

"You're think they're going to take over glee?"

"Oh I'm sure of it. They're royal couple again: star quarterback and the girl who stuck it to Sue Sylvester. They're going to take over the _school_, Sam." She gives him her saddest look and he feels his heart clenching. "Glee is all I have."

He sighs and closes his eyes. "I wanted to be glee captain you know. I wanted to replace Finn because he really isn't doing a great job."

She doesn't quite agree but she knows she has to tell him differently. She needs to get him on board. "I think you'd be amazing."

They look at each other for a while. "So you want us to date?" Sam finally asks.

"Well, I want to pretend to date. If they think we're dating they'll think we're moving on. It'll upset them and ruin their game. We can get under their skin, Sam, and then we can take over." And really, this is what it's all about. It's not about Finn taking Quinn back after everything, it's not about revenge. She just needs to do what's best for her future. Winning Nationals is all she cares about.

"I've never really fake dated anyone before."

"Me neither. But don't worry," she says and reaches for her purse. She takes out a binder with pages in different colors. "I am going to plan this very carefully. We'll have to be wise about this. We can't go to school tomorrow and be a couple, they won't buy it. We have to do it slowly. We have to build it up. It'll be an acting exercise."

Sam laughs. "I don't know if I'm a really good actor. I've never tried."

But her smile is full of confidence. "Don't worry. We'll work on it and I'll teach you everything I know. My acting skills are impeccable."


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel writes down a schedule and mails it to Sam. It details the progression of their relationship and he reads it over carefully. She has managed to convince him- this is important. They need to do it right and he trusts that she knows how, so he's going to do what exactly she plans.

First stage: appear to get closer.

They start off by walking together down the hall. They stop next to Rachel's locker and she takes out her books while Sam leans on the lockers next to her and watches.

She speaks quickly and quietly. "You need to look interested, but not too interested. We need to talk to each other some, but not too much. We don't sit together in class."

He nods. She closes her lockers and turns to him, flashing a smile. He smiles back. He'd offer to carry her books because that's just what he does but he knows that's not good for now.

They start walking. They make small talk, keeping it quiet so that no one realizes they're just talking about homework.

She whispers, "Some people are looking. This is good."

They get to Spanish and Rachel marches to her front row seat. Sam sits at the back with Puck and Mike.

…

After three days of walking together, they make it a point to arrive at glee together. She smiles at him and takes a spot at the back. Mercedes looks at her suspiciously but doesn't say a word, and Sam sits at the other side of the room.

Two practices after that they sit together. It was carefully planned. Sam got there first and put his backpack on the chair next to him. Rachel walks in five minutes before practice starts (there are some members there but not all of them). Sam moves his bag to the floor and Rachel takes its place.

Fin and Quinn walk into the choir room last and Quinn stops for a split second as she sees them before keeping on walking to the two open seats next to Mercedes.

Rachel keeps her eyes to the front of the room but mutters to her right, "We got them."

Slowly, as she taught him, Sam shifts his eyes to Finn and Quinn. Their heads are close together and they're whispering to each other. He smirks at Rachel before focusing on Mr. Schue who just walked into the room.

…

They space their actions out, so it's a few days before she IMs him that it's time for their next move. They spend an hour planning it over the phone, and she talks time, place, pace. It helps him to know exactly what to do and he appreciates her dedication to making it work so well. He could have never planned this alone.

She whispers, "Action" when glee practice is over the next day. They gather their things and walk out, keeping a steady pace as they walk to the parking lot. They know exactly who walks before them and who walks behind them.

They reach his car. That morning Sam picked the specific location. He unlocks the doors and Rachel smiles. She waits for the right moment to get in, and as she does, she makes sure not to turn her face away from the window. Sam too gets in. He fakes fumbling with his seatbelt until Rachel says, "Now." He places his hands on the wheel and puts the car in 'drive'.

As they drive away from McKinley, Rachel looks intently in the rear-view mirror. She sees Santana watching them pull away and grins when Santana takes out her cell phone. She's making the call while standing next to her car watching them.

Plan execution: perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam picks her up in the morning to drive her to school. When she walks out the door she smiles. It's kind of nice to have someone there waiting for her.

Her dads give her a look before she leaves, the 'we will talk about this later' look that she fears. She doesn't like lying to them but she knows she can't tell them this is a fake relationship. They won't approve and just tell her to take her time to get over Finn on her own.

She kind of feels like she's already doing that.

She gets into Sam's car with a chipper "Good morning" and he has two cups of coffee. He smiles as he hands her one and she hates that she has to turn him down. "I'm vegan," she tells him and he looks sorry. "I didn't know," he says and puts the cup down.

"That's okay, you couldn't have." She puts on her seatbelt. Actually, that points her to something more they need to do in order for this to work. "We should tell each other things," she looks at him. "Because it'll seem weird if we don't know anything about each other."

He nods. "Sure."

"I'll make a list of all the things a boyfriend would need to know about me for you."

"Whoa," he says with a laugh. "I'm not really good at making lists like you are. Maybe we could like, hang out and figure stuff out?"

She's surprised but it makes sense so she agrees.

…

When they get to school, there's no one around from glee to see them come out of the same car. He expects her to say they'll have to do it again but she doesn't. "There are enough people here," she tells him. "Everyone will hear about it by lunch."

He thinks maybe he'd like to drive her again anyway.

…

They're ready to hold hands. Rachel tells him so and he's okay with that so the next day they do.

He comes up to her at her locker and smiles when she looks at him nervously. "Ready?"

She nods but when he takes her hand he can feel her shaking. He hears her take a deep breath and knows she's trying to calm herself down but her hand still trembles in his. He squeezes and she nods at him gratefully.

They can do this.

It's only a short walk on their way to English. People look. Sam softly moves his thumb up and down hers. Surprisingly, it manages to calm her down.

When they get to class he follows her and sits next to her. It wasn't a part of the plan but she doesn't mention it.

He borrows a pen and tells a joke that makes her cough to hide her laughter during the class and his knee brushes up against hers once before he moves it away.

…

She goes over to his house after he finishes basketball practice. He opens the door with his hair still wet and she holds up the DVD's she brought. He doesn't look as terrified as she thought he would. One point in his favor.

She follows him to the living room and he sets up the movie. She talks while he does. "This is Funny Girl. It's my favorite movie in the whole world. I made Finn watch it four times so I thought it'd be a good start."

Sam nods as he sits down next to her. "Sounds good to me."

She makes comments throughout the movie, mostly about other movies and musicals she loves and why. She definitely feels like he has to know everything she thinks and feels about Broadway, including her dream roles and what age she thinks is a good one to receive her first Tony. She makes note to make him a compilation of her favorite Tony's performances and he actually looks interested.

Yes, it surprises her. She's way too used to people brushing away what she likes because it's too unfamiliar, boring or any other kind of excuse.

When they move to watch some of his favorites (there's blood, car chases and blue people), she tries her hardest to take an interest too. When the good guys win and she claps excitedly, the smile he gives her makes it all worth it.


	4. Chapter 4

She brings him home to meet her dads. That, she explains with a "What if one of my dads runs into Mr. Schue or Mrs. Hudson? That would be a disaster."

Rachel introduces everyone and offers him cake. He loves cake.

While he eats, her dads ask questions (how do you like school? Do you enjoy glee? Tell us about your family, Sam) until Rachel decides it's enough and sends them to the living room.

When they're alone she says, "Sorry about that."

His mouth is stuffed. "Don't worry about it, they're nice," and Rachel laughs at him and offers another piece. While he eats that one she tells him she loves to bake. Who would have guessed?

He probably seemed surprised because two days later she drops a bag of chocolate chip cookies in his hands and they're heaven.

…

They go out to breakfast with Kurt and Blaine on a Saturday. On the way there (he picks her up) she tells him about how she's gotten closer to Kurt. It doesn't seem all that surprising to him so she explains diva-offs and Defying Gravity and all that.

"A lot happened last year," he comments. A lot he hasn't been around for and had no idea would affect him this much.

He pretends to smile but fails. She understands.

…

Sam and Blaine hit it off nicely, immediately talking about football while Kurt makes conversation with Rachel about her outfit, the food and Gypsy.

He then speaks in her ear. "I know what you're doing."

She's startled, turns to face him. "What?"

"With Sam," Kurt clarifies. "I know."

She excuses herself to the ladies' room, waits in line until Kurt shows up and pulls her aside.

"Stop it," she hisses and shakes her arm away from him.

"Don't change the subject." His eyes are sparkling and she isn't sure if he's upset or making fun of her. "What are you doing?"

"You said you knew."

"Oh I know. Pretending to date Sam to get back at Finn and Quinn? You're not so clever, Rachel."

"I think I am," she gives her best 'don't mess with me' look.

"Yeah?"

"It's working, isn't it?"

He seems surprised that she's admitting it this quickly but she can pick her battles and really, he isn't fully against it. Just because Finn is his brother now doesn't mean the guy didn't have it coming.

He leans closer to her. "You don't kiss."

She blinks a few times in surprise. "We…"

"You don't kiss," he repeats. "You have to."

"Are you… _helping_ me?"

"Well," he shrugs and she looks appalled. "Just listen to me, okay? You have to kiss if you want to sell it."

She starts breathing fast and her face shows the freak-out that is happening on the inside. For six months she has only kissed one person and in her stupid mind she built up this dream where she would never kiss anyone else but him.

Kurt's fingers wrap around hers. "Practice."

…

She brings it up to Sam at lunch break. She thinks they should discuss it because kissing is more than hand holding and sitting in the same car and maybe he's not up for it (or she isn't) and they should just cut the whole thing out and leave it alone.

But Sam isn't as weirded out as she expected. He just shrugs. "It makes sense," and he's pretty much learned that everything she says makes sense.

"Will you say that to anything I bring up? Because it seems like it."

He laughs. "Well, you _are_ a pretty reasonable person…"

"Yes, but I want to know your honest opinion about this. You can't just agree with me."

"But I do," he insists. "I mean, we knew it was coming, right?" (no) "We're pretending to be a couple. Couples kiss and stuff."

"Yeah," is the only thing she manages.

"Are you freaking out?" he checks out her face, and she seems like she does. He doesn't understand why. "It's just me," he says carefully, then thinks maybe _that_ is the problem.

"I haven't really kissed a lot of guys," she quietly says. "Or any that I wasn't in a relationship with."

"We're in a relationship," he smiles but she gives him a look and he drops the funny. "How many guys have you kissed?"

"Three."

"Oh. But don't worry about it Rachel," he says and puts a hand on top of hers. "Really."

She closes her eyes and nods slowly. "I guess you're right."

"I promise I won't bite," he winks, and she laughs out loud.

…

They practice in his bedroom.

She comes over wearing one of those short skirts and sits on his bed. He _is_ kind of nervous, but it's impossible not to be when he's expected to just go over there and kiss her.

She looks at him expectantly, so he walks over to sit next to her. "You okay?"

"You're delaying," she laughs.

"Sorry. Okay. Let's do this." He brings his face closer to hers. "Okay," he says again.

Her eyes close and he's left to just look at her for a second. He notices her lip trembling so he takes her hand.

She never expected him to try and make her feel so comfortable about this, first while they were just discussing it and now when they were about to actually kiss. It feels nice to have someone take care of her because she always has to take care of herself.

She keeps her eyes closed but she can feel him leaning closer. Just when his lips are about to touch hers she jumps back and opens her eyes.

He looks up at her, confused, even hurt and she rushes to sit on back the bed. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm ready now."

She slows down her breath and closes her eyes again.

"You sure?"

She just nods and before she knows it, he's kissing her. It's soft and simple and not like the kisses she shared with any of her boyfriends. It's barely a kiss so she does what she has to- she deepens it.

Sam lets out a surprised 'ah' when she does but doesn't pull back. It's nice, kissing her like that. It's not really a conscious decision to bring his hand up to touch her cheek and she stops the kiss when he does.

"Sorry," he rushes to say and she blushes a little.

Then she initiates and kisses him, and he thinks back to what she said in glee once- practice makes perfect.


	5. Chapter 5

Once they're comfortable with the kissing, it's obvious they need to take it out of his bedroom and into McKinley. Well, it's obvious to each of them in private, but they don't talk about it out loud. They've practiced enough; it's just the thought of the conversation of timing and placing their first public kiss is giving them stomachache. (or maybe butterflies)

One day Sam walks down the hallway and sees Rachel putting books in her locker. He stops next to her and when she looks at him, he touches his lips to hers. It was a split minute decision- he knew it had to be done, he knew she was too shy or embarrassed to bring it up, so he stepped up and did it.

…

It all happens so fast; one moment she's standing all alone and the next Sam's kissing her in front of everyone. She's pretty sure they haven't actually decided on it but as she's kissing him back she decides she likes his change of plans. She wasn't confident enough to set the date and he just solved the problem for her.

He pulls away and smiles at her. "Have fun in class," and with a wink, he walks away.

As she closes her locker and starts her way to History she almost misses Finn and Quinn staring after her.

…

The next day Sam shows up to school with a black eye. That's when Azimio's busted lip that she saw that morning clicks in her mind. She tries talking to Sam to find out what happened but he gives her a nice brush-off.

It's Tina who solves the mystery. She sits next to Rachel before glee starts and the two girls bring their heads together.

"They fought over you, you know," Tina says and Rachel's eyes widen. "Mike told me Azimio was giving Sam trouble over kissing you and Sam hit him."

"What? But…" Rachel has never felt so shocked in her life. "Why would he do that?"

"Azimio was talking crap about you. Mike said he would have joined in if Bieste hadn't walked in."

"That's…" weird, but also strangely flattering to have someone do that for her and know there's at least one more person willing. For a year she's felt alone in school and in glee. Now she suddenly has friends who have her back.

It feels really good.

She also doesn't miss the way Tina totally buys that they're together and believes that it's real. If there's a part of her who feels bad about deceiving her friend, the other part, the one that likes winning more than everything, takes over.

…

So basically it went like this:

He walked into the dressing room.

Azimio cracked a joke about 'kissing a gay loving midget loser'.

And he punched him.

It's not like he planned on it or even really thought about what he was doing. It was more like instinct.

Azimio continuing to yell stuff about Rachel surely didn't help and they ended up on the floor until Coach Bieste came in to separate them and yell at everyone else for not doing it sooner.

He went home to put ice on his eye and all he could think of was Rachel and how much she doesn't deserve all the jokes about her, her gay parents or her gay friends.

Now that they've been spending a lot of time together, he knows she's awesome. Other than that amazing voice and planning skills, he knows she's a good listener, a good kisser, a good friend and generally great to be around.

So yeah, if he punches anyone who claims differently he's not going to feel bad about it.

…

The way Rachel and Tina are talking and the 'sorry man' look Mike gives him, he knows Rachel has been filled in on what happened (he hopes no one told her the exact words that were said about her, though).

She walks up to him and he's mostly prepared for the 'no violence' speech he's had coming but she just kisses his cheek and smiles. He finds that her smile is pretty much contagious.

When Mr. Schue walks in and hands out music sheets, he gives her a song. The way Rachel lights up instantly is one of the greatest things he's even seen and he starts running through duet ideas in his head.

They'll sing together and it'll be awesome. And they'll smile together until it hurts.


End file.
